Board & Advisors

Special Advisors

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  Akasha Balkman

  Special Board Advisor

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  Akasha Balkman, LICSW, is a psychotherapist, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and palliative care specialist whose work focuses on grief, bereavement, trauma, serious illness, and medical trauma. She brings a deeply compassionate, culturally responsive, and holistic perspective to her role as a Special Board Advisor to Early Answers Foundation.

  Akasha serves as a Palliative Care Specialist at Seattle Children's, where she supports children and families navigating serious illness, loss, and complex medical experiences. During her time at Seattle Children's, she has also worked as a clinical social worker and bereavement clinician, helping individuals and families find support, resilience, and meaning during some of life's most difficult moments.

  An enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Akasha co-founded the Indigenous Circle & Friends at Seattle Children's and serves as its Membership Chair. Through this work, she helps strengthen Indigenous representation, cultural understanding, education, and connection within the healthcare community.

  Akasha is also the founder of Sweetgrass & Sage Counseling, a private practice grounded in the belief that healing begins when people feel seen, heard, and supported. Inspired by the teachings of sweetgrass and sage, her approach honours what nourishes people while helping them gently release what no longer serves them.

  As co-founder of Hello Angel, a digital grief-support platform, Akasha leads the development of resources centred on tending to grief, maintaining meaningful bonds with those who have died, and empowering families and communities to support people living with loss.

  Akasha holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington. Her clinical expertise, cultural insight, and commitment to compassionate care help Early Answers Foundation keep patients, families, and lived experience at the heart of its work.

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  Geoff Balkman

  Special Board Advisor

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  Geoff Balkman, PhD, CPO, is a clinical development scientist, researcher, educator, and certified prosthetist/orthotist. He brings expertise in rehabilitation science, clinical research, patient-centered healthcare, assistive technology, and medical technology development to his role as a Special Board Advisor to Early Answers Foundation.

  Geoff serves as a Senior Clinical Development Scientist at Philips, where he contributes clinical and scientific expertise to the development and evaluation of healthcare technologies. He is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, where he has conducted and supported research and education at the intersection of rehabilitation, clinical practice, patient experience, and innovation. His research experience spans qualitative and quantitative methods, clinical outcomes, survey and measurement development, patient and stakeholder engagement, and the translation of scientific evidence into meaningful improvements in healthcare.

  Before joining Philips, Geoff served as a research consultant at the University of Washington and spent several years providing direct patient care as a prosthetist/orthotist. This combination of clinical, research, and technology experience has given him a unique perspective on connecting scientific discovery with the needs of patients and families and translating research into practical, meaningful outcomes.

  Geoff earned his PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Washington and holds a Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics from the University of Pittsburgh. He is certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics and has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications, research studies, and scientific review activities, including service on the Scientific Grants Review Committee for the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation.

  Geoff's commitment to Early Answers Foundation is both professional and deeply personal. As a bereaved father whose seven-year-old son, Carson, died unexpectedly in his sleep, Geoff brings lived experience of the profound impact of an unexplained childhood death alongside his scientific and clinical expertise. He is committed to helping advance rigorous research, support families, and accelerate progress toward understanding and ultimately preventing SUDC.

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  Lisa Caitlin Silva

  Special Board Advisor

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  Lisa Caitlin Silva is a certified genetic counselor with a background in genetics research, genetic counseling, and patient advocacy. She brings clinical genetics expertise and a deep commitment to diagnostic access to her role as a Special Board Advisor to Early Answers Foundation.

  Lisa is currently a pediatric genetic counselor in Medical Genetics at Stanford Medicine Children's Health | Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She is passionate about improving access to genetics care and ensuring that individuals and families have the knowledge, resources, and support they need to navigate the path to and through a genetic or rare disease diagnosis.

  She received her undergraduate degree in Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology from Brigham Young University in 2023 and her master's degree in genetic counseling from Stanford University in 2025. Through genetic counseling internships with Johns Hopkins Hospital, Intermountain Health, and Stanford Medicine, she developed experience communicating genetic information and supporting individuals and families navigating genetic diagnoses.

  Her commitment to patient advocacy, education, and improving resources and support for individuals and families affected by genetic and rare diseases has been shaped by her work with national patient advocacy organizations, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Global Genes. She has a particular interest in public policy efforts, informed by her experience advocating in Washington, D.C., on behalf of individuals and families affected by rare disease.